A Time Away
by dark-birdie
Summary: A final battle occurs in the Dragon Castle's walls. A trap is set for Rath. What has Kharl done to the world?
1. The First and Final Battle

Spiral: I'm bad, im really, really, really, bad…I am SO sorry, I know, im supposed to update my other fics, but. . .this. . .this story. . .it just came into my head, and I can't get rid of it! Blame the little voices in my head that makes me do these things!

Voice 1: you can't blame this on us

Voice 2: yah, that's unfair!

Me: who cares, if I wanna blame it on you, I can.

Voices 1 and 2: down with spiral! Down with spiral:carrying little signs and marching around my brain:

Me: ow! That hurts! Stop that!

Voices: NO!

Me: okay, okay! It's not ur fault! It's mine! Geesh. . .

And so ends my little conversation with the voices in my heads. . .yah. . .this was majorly random. . .

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Knights. . .waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh. . . . :goes to cry in her room:

Enjoy

oOOOOOOOOOOOOo

A Time Away 

Chapter 1- The First and Final Battle

The two dragon fighters panted, out of breath, as they hastily approached they're commander.

"S-sir!" one said, bringing a hand flat-out to his forehead. The formal greeting to a higher rank. "We're being attacked by a horde of demons!"

The other, a chestnut-haired man, also lifelessly brought his hand to his head in the greeting, "And th-they're being lead by…the alchemist…" he muttered, between giant gulps of breath.

Blood-red eyes flashed angrily, as the Black Dragon Officer glared at his subordinates. "I am already aware of that!" he snapped, sleek black hair combed neatly back, revealing his slightly pointed ears and dark, serious features. "While you two were out, insignificantly "browsing" through the city pubs, the other dragon fighters have already turned in their reports to me!" Tetheus glowered at the two as they repeatedly apologized for their mistakes.

He angrily dismissed them, barking out the command to help their comrades with the fight. And so they left, bickering with each other as they went. He sighed, battling a headache away from the fortress of his mind. The dragon fighters, they weren't taking this situation seriously enough! This was no time to be arguing about trivial things! Demons. . ._demons_! They had broken through the Lord's protective barrier!

A nauseous feeling swept over the Secretary of Security as he sensed the presences of the gathering demons. The feeling. . .it was so strong! His own demonic aura swerved dangerously around him, as his demonic soul rose dangerously close to the surface. The presence of other demons, of course, brought out the inner souls of more.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Lykouleon contained his many sad thoughts and he locked the door securely behind him. He didn't want to do this, but nonetheless, he had to. If anyone in the castle were to revert back to his or her demon side, it would prove fatal to both him and everyone else residing in his home. And so, despite his wantings, he HAD to lock Tetheus, Rath, Cesia, and Zoma in the most secure, obscene dungeon he had. Rath, of course, insisted on fighting the gathering yokai, and gave a good fight to do so, but with a simple sleeping poison, he was easily brought into the prison. The other three, however, agreed to the Dragon Lord's decision, and walked into the dungeon without complaint.

And now the Dragon Lord muttered a word of his ancient language, and a seal was placed on the dungeon door, to insure that no escape would take place. He sighed once again, then somberly went to take his place next to the fighting Dragon Clan's side. But an uneasy feeling of fear still lurked in the back of his mind.

oOoOOoOOOOOoooOOoo

"How many are left!" shouted the Water Dragon Knight over the roar of oncoming demons.

"How the hell do you think I'd know!" shouted the Earth Dragon Knight back. "They just keep popping up from everywhere, like daisies!"

"I'd say more like cockroaches. . ." muttered Rune, easily slaying a lower class demon. The edge of his sword was now tinted heavily with the dark crimson-red of blood. The same color was splattered all over his armor and clothes, along with every other part of him exposed to the fighting, including his long, waist-length hair. Beautiful, light blue eyes were narrowed in annoyance. "They keep coming even after you've killed them."

Likewise, Thatz was in the same, blood-covered condition. He ran his sweat-covered fingers through brown, hazelnut hair, which ran in no single direction. "I don't freakin'. . .oh crap. . ." Vivid, cunning green eyes glanced in all directions as the demons continued to completely surround the two Dragon Knights. They sneered with delight, obviously thinking they had won. But, obviously, they had thought wrong. There was no way in the hells that two, fully trained, highly strong, and of the highest honor Dragon Knights were going to be over taken by some lower class swamp demons like the ones surrounding them.

"Why do we get all the weak ones?" said Thatz, giving a false sigh. He lay down his sword and plopped down on the ground, sitting cross-legged on the blood-soaked floor. He was mocking them, trying to get them in a closer range.

And of course, just like he had thought, his mocking worked.

The swamp demons flew at him like bees to honey. But this time. . .the bees would not get the honey. Thatz smirked and pounded his hand on the solid, earthen ground. The closer the target, the easier it is to use magic.

The ground shook, rumbling with the waves of magic, which was busy pouring into every piece of dirt scattered in the floor. The dirt gathered, and made rocks. Rocks with pointed ends, sharp enough to pierce through bodies. . ._demon _bodies. . .

"Oh yeah! Go me!" shouted Thatz, as the pile of demon bodies rose to a great extent. He had only to use a tiny, small grain of his power, and had killed this much of the enemy. And the process was still going. Sharp, pointed rocks jutted out from the floor, this way and that, piercing the closest demon body they could find. "That's the ninety-eighth one!" he cheered, literally counting every demon he had slaughtered.

"Show off. . ." mumbled Rune, slicing a nearby demon's head clear off. But who said showing off was bad? The Water Dragon Knight made his sword disappear in a whiff of blue smoke, and held both hands out, palms up. A soft, steady, light blue glow emanated from within his body as he concentrated all of his Aquarian energy out of his soul, and into the outside world. He called out to all of the nearby water he could find, and in return, they came rushing to him. He called to the stream, the river, the pond, and he even pulled all the moisture out of the vast amount of air that surrounded him.

And as all this water was gathered, a clear wall rose up and around the two fighting Knights. The more he gathered, the stronger, and deadlier, the wall became. Soon it was almost as tall as the gargantuan castle itself. And the demons outside of the wall, could neither penetrate, nor escape from it.

"I think it's big enough now, Rune," muttered Thatz, regaining his up-right composure, sword in hand.

Rune, after seeing that his wall was indeed, "big enough", said one simple word. "Release."

And the water obeyed. The tsunami released its contents over the surrounding army of demons, crushing their tiny, miniscule bodies beneath its unmatchable weight and power.

Rune smiled and summoned his sword back to him. "Ninety-eight," he said, directing his words at Thatz.

"How the hell can you count all of that!"

"The water counted for me," replied Rune, calmly.

"Yah right! Prove it!" huffed Thatz, decapitating the nearest demon he could find. "And ninety-nine."

"Fine then," said Rune, raising a hand into the air. A wave of water rushed throughout the scattered bodies on the floor, picking up all the ones that had been drowned in the flood, or crushed by the wave's weight.

"Oh, you're right, it seems I have miscounted," said Rune, sarcastically. He flung the last, water-soaked demon body onto the pile of decaying ones to his right. "That's ninety-nine, not ninety-eight."

"Well now we're tied," smirked Thatz, running his fingers through his bloodstained hair.

"One hundred," said Rune flatly, piercing a demon, who just so happened to be behind him, straight through to the heart.

"Rune! Thatz!"

The Dragon Knights turned in unison as their names were called.

The Blue Dragon Officer, Kai-stern, sped up the two. He took a breath, then proceeded on to tell them his news. "You're needed on the top balcony! Kharl and Lord Lykouleon are battling it out themselves, and we need you two to break the barrier Kharl made surrounding them! And- what in the hells are you piling up demon bodies for!"

At the instance of the mention of the Dragon Lord's security, Rune sped off towards the top balcony without another word.

"Stupid, girly, show-off elf," muttered the brown-haired thief, before running off to the top balcony himself.

oOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo

Dragons of all ranks shielded they're faces with already blood-covered arms as dangerous pounds of marble and granite almost succeeded in the task of crushing them flat. As the pieces of royal balcony began to fall away with each and every minute that passed, the Dragon Lord began to come dangerously close to the edge of his own death. It wasn't that the Alchemist was all that powerful, this just wasn't the right moment to be fighting.

Holy, golden liquid let but one drop to fall on the white marble of the balcony floor, and a hole, the size of one's finger, bore itself straight through the compound, fizzing away as the golden blood did not cease to destroy it. Every single thing the Dragon Lord's blood touched, dissolved into a light, silvery smoke.

Lykouleon grimaced as one drop over too much loss of his treasured blood trickled out from his hand. But just as the pain came, his opponent flew at him, a shimmering ball of dark, arcane magic hovering in his hand. There was no time to be grimacing, because if he did, he would surely be killed. But still, why now? How had that deranged Alchemist known this was the day to strike?

Kharl sneered as the Lord of Dragons energy seeped out from him in more numerous quantities as time passed. He wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. Yes, soon, Lykouleon would pass out from so much loss of his blood. The alchemist laughed evilly with glee. Today was the only day, once a year, when the Dragon Lord was at his weakest. Today was the day when blood flowed freely from his hand, making him weak until it stopped the flow at midnight. Finally, he would get his precious demon back. And what was even better, no one could help the suffering Dragon. The Alchemist's barrier magic was much too strong for the weak, simple-minded Dragons. Well, that was what he thought at least. But of course, such good plans were meant to fail.

"Lord Lykouleon!"

Kharl snarled as a wave of hate rushed over him. It was _him _again. The pitiful man whom his object of desire cared so much for. Rath. . .he simply liked Kai-Stern to much for the Alchemist to bear it.

'And look. . .' thought Kharl to himself, as he continued to battle away the Dragon Lord's strength, 'He brought two more flies to swat. . .'

Rune gazed up at the crumbling balcony, eyes aghast in horror as Lykouleon barely had any room left to stand on. "Lord Lykouleon!" He yelled, regaining control over his own thoughts of imagination. Instantly, he reached out into the deep, bright blue pools of magic in his mind. Without hesitating a bit, a wave of towering, beautiful liquid rose up behind the Dragon Knight of Water.

Rune gestured his hand towards the crumbling balcony, and the water proceeded on rushing towards the desired target. But alas, before reaching the target itself, the attack was reflected off of an invisible presence, and shot back at the attacker.

The elfin prince closed his eyes, ready for the horrifying impact, and waited. And waited. And waited. He waited until he was most annoyed of waiting, because the amount of waiting he had been waiting was much too much to have been waiting if a giant tsunami was supposed to be hitting you in a speed which was much to fast to have been waiting for this long. ((that was a most confusing sentence. . .)) And so, not wanting to wait much more, Rune opened his eyes, to find that he most definitely had not been hit by his own element.

"I think I deserve a few hundred points for this," snickered Thatz, offering a hand to Rune, who had absent-mindedly fallen to the floor. The Water Dragon Knight stared at the wall of rock towering over them, which had so kindly blocked the water attack from killing its master, and had scattered the liquid all over the castle grounds instead.

"Thank you," muttered Rune breathlessly as he took the offered helping hand and brought himself up to stand. 'Note, do not send a very large tsunami at the Alchemist's barrier EVER again. . .' he thought to himself.

"Now, how do we break that weird barrier thing?" asked Thatz, walking closer to the invisible bubble.

"Wait, Thatz! Don't walk-"

"Ah!" shouted Thatz, after being slightly electrocuted and thrown back to hit the floor with a hard "thump". "Damn, that hurt!"

Rune sighed and dusted off his clothes a bit, thought it didn't really help, because his clothes were already soaked with blood. "I tried to warn you. The barrier repels and attacks anything that comes near it."

"Well you obviously didn't warn me at a better time."

"What was that!"

"Ah, nothing."

Thatz took this time to take a small pebble between his fingers and chuck it at the invisible force. In return, the barrier simply chucked the rock back at the Knight, hitting him straight in the head.

"Ow! 'The hell was that for!" Thatz rubbed his forehead painfully as it throbbed with the non-existence of the fallen pebble. "Urgh, well at least now we know that it doesn't like rocks either."

"But we have to help Lord Lykouleon!" pleaded Rune to an unseen listener. "If Cesia were here, things would be a lot easier."

"And here she is," came a calm, clear, hypnotic voice from behind him.

"Hm?" Rune turned around to face none other than the girl whom he had been speaking of. "What? Cesia?"

The half witch smiled and spoke, violet eyes happily dancing with joy and raven hair swaying about in the eerie wind about her. "The one and only."

"B-but, How did you-?"

The surrounding battle seemed to go silent as a quiet "thwack" bounded off the scenery.

"And I thought you were happy to see me, Rune," sneered Cesia, blood splattered about the dark fabric of her dress. Her long, lashing, blood-red whip lay limply at her side, tipped with equally as scarlet liquid.

"A. . .agh!" Rune coughed harshly as the blood unceasingly continued to flow from the deep cut across his chest. "Wh-what are you. . .why are you. . .?"

"Hey Cesia! Can I kill this one? Can I?" Came a psychotic child's voice from behind them.

"Of course you can, Zoma. They'd probably be happier if they died together," answered the demon girl back. "Just try not to get your new outfit dirty like I did. It's a shame, really, I just summoned these new clothes."

Rune looked back to see Zoma clad in a black outfit matching Cesia's, with a wolf-fangs necklace and black cape to give a much more eviler effect to such a small demon boy. He was clutching a bleeding Thatz by the neck, squeezing harshly as the Earth Dragon Knight coughed out more blood. "THATZ!" shouted the elf, standing up to help his friend in need.

"We won't have any of that now, will we?" cackled Cesia. She gave a flick of her wrist and the whip lashed out at the Water Dragon Knight, curling tightly around his neck. She pulled him closer to her, leaning down to touch his face. "I've been locked up much too long, so provide me with some entertainment, okay Runey boy?" She turned to face her demonic companion, "Are you finished yet, Zoma?"

"Hey, look what I drew!" the boy turned to show the girl the bare back of the Earth Dragon Knight. Scratched onto the bleeding skin was a pathetic excuse for a drawing of a bird. "Pretty, isn't it Cesia?" Zoma held up long claws dripping up to the tips with blood.

"Very nice, sweetie," said Cesia, brightening. "But didn't your mother ever teach you not to play with your food?"

As these words reached Rune's ears he gasped in disbelief. They weren't going to. . .

"I never had a mother, Cesia," giggled Zoma insanely, licking his lips with hunger.

. . .eat. . .Thatz. . .?

"Well then, go on, eat up," said Cesia, "Everyone else always says that human is a true delicacy."

"No! I won't let you do this!" Rune shouted out as he used all his energy to summon the Water Dragon from its sword.

"Oh?" The demonic girl turned to face the rising dragon, roaring with fury for its master. "The lizard has come out to play. I heard dragon-hide accessories are very _in _this year." She let the weakened elf go from her whip's grasp and turned her attention to the Water Dragon. "Let's dance to the song of death, dragon."

oOoOoOoO

Spiral: that was a loooooooooooooong chappie wasn't it? Nyohohohohohohoho, cliffie hanger! And I take FOREVER to update! ((hint: reviews help!))


	2. The First and Final Battle cont

Spiral: nyohohohohoho! Chapter 2! Woohoo! Go me! Let's par-tay:takes out her special store of sake: we're gonna boogie tonight! o :already drunk:

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A Time Away: Chapter 2- The First and Final Battle ((cont.))

"Arrogant scum!" shouted the girl joyously. Her one whip split into nine as she lashed it out at the oncoming dragon fighters and secretaries. "Fighting me is useless! My power surpasses yours by miles!"

"Let's play, play, play!" laughed the demon boy happily, throwing poisoned kunai knives this way and that. "Hehehehe. . .I haven't had this much fun in forever!" He beamed with delight as a knife hit a dragon fighter right in the heart.

"Pathetic dragons. Useless, idiotic creatures. . ." said a far-off voice, long, black sword in hand. "The world is far better off without them. The humans, too." The Black Dragon Officer slashed mercilessly at the oncoming men, once formerly his loyal fighters.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"It's useless, Dragon Lord, can't you see?" sneered the Renkin Wizard. Even some of your subordinates have turned against you."

"I. . .will. . .NOT. . .give up!" yelled Lord Lykouleon fearlessly.

"Ah, wasted efforts, it is indeed very sad. . ." Kharl simply snapped his fingers, and was gone in a whisp of white smoke. "I'll be leaving you now. . ."

"Why. . .?" And before he could say his question, his answer came in the sound of cracks. . .

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"LORD LYKOULEON!" shouted Alfeegi from the bloody battlefield. He tried desperately to help his falling Lord, but was held back by attacking demons. "Damn. . .it. . .LYKOULEON!"

The Dragon Lord was falling unceasingly from the destroyed pieces of the highest balcony on the Dragon Castle. He was completely vented of energy from the fight with the Alchemist, so all he could do was stare as the world seemingly fell from him. His people. . .his kingdom. . .what was going to happen to them all?

Lykouleon blinked as a black feather floated past his withering eyesight.

A black. . .feather?

Wide, vast wings, as black as the night sky, unfurled from the back of the raven-haired boy with a strip of white mixed in with the locks of black. "Ly. . .kou. . .leon. . ." muttered the scarlet-eyed boy.

"R. . .Rath?" The Dragon Lord murmured silently as the Fire Dragon Knight caught him in his outstretched arms. "Wh. . .why are you. . .?"

"Who. . .who did this?" asked Rath, setting Lord Lykouleon onto the ground. "Someone. . .someone has made me like this again. . ." He stared at his large wings, and long claws. "SOMEONE IS BRINGING BACK THE MEMORIES!"

"Poor, poor demon. A demon like you should come with me," said a gleeful voice. White smoke aroused in front of the red-eyed boy and formed into the Renkin Wizard.

"It was. . .you. . .you did this!" shouted Rath in fury.

"Yes, it was me. I had to do something about my left bird, after you so ruthlessly killed him. I wanted _revenge_, Rath. And I also want you back."

"I wanted to forget. . .I want. . .LET ME FORGET!" he dove at the Alchemist, blindly ripping apart anything he could get his hands on. "Stay still you damned Alchemist!"

"Oh, but if I did that, you'd kill me," said Kharl, disappearing and reappearing multiple of times, staying out of Rath's crazed reach.

"That's. . .the. . .POINT!" Rath slashed at him with all his might.

Kharl winced as blood seeped out from a thin cut on his left cheek. Rath took this time to get the Alchemist once again.

"A moment's hesitation is all I need!" Rath sank two inch fangs into Kharl's right arm. 'You cause all my suffering!' he thought out loud. 'I'll kill you. . .I'LL DEFINITELY KILL YOU!" He bit down as hard as he could into the Renkin Wizard's arm.

And then. . .the arm broke into pieces. The pieces in turn disintegrated into ashes and blew away in the wind.

"What?" Rath stared disbelievingly at the disintegrating Alchemist.

"Silly, foolish Rath. . ." laughed Kharl, almost half his face eaten away by nothingness, "You fell right into my trap. . ."

"No. . .what are. . .?"

Kharl outstretched a fading arm to slightly caress the pale skin of the demon boy's cheek. "I shall make you suffer unceasing pain. . ." And with those words, the last of Kharl faded away.

And Rath started to fade along with him. He too, was disintegrating before his own eyes. What was happening? It felt as though he were drowning in vigorously boiling water. "Wh-wha. . ." But there was no time to finish. . .he was gone. . .

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"I said he would suffer. . .and I always keep my promises. . ." said the Alchemist from his desk. He laid his head on a upstanding hand and sighed deeply with content. "I love being evil. . ."

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Spiral: uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. . .short chapter! T-T I'll make the next one longer, promise!


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